Hook, Line, and... Break? The Poetic Power of Linebreaks (2-Part)

Class Description

Consider the tightrope walker, carefully placing their feet, high above the ground. Now imagine the walker deliberately cutting the line. As the line snaps, the walker finds themself briefly, dizzyingly, suspended in the air. All possibilities seem open, until they fall--only to land, miraculously, on another line. Poems are a succession of such miracles. And at the heart of it all is the linebreak.

On the first day of this two-day generative workshop, we'll read poems by Terrence Hayes, Gwendolyn Brooks, A. R. Ammons, John Berryman, Yusef Komunyakaa, and others. We'll examine how linebreaks enable and create and complicate metaphor; how they help the poems enact what they say; how they help break emotions and actions and thoughts down to their component parts, revealing the tensions hidden between them. Through a series of prompts, we'll practice linebreaks that work, that pull overtime, that surprise and delight. On the second day, we'll bring drafts in for critique. All poets welcome! (Prose poets, too.)

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.